You need a campfire permit to use a campstove at the trailhead at Barcroft Gate. Other than that, no permits are needed to camp or hike there. There is a pit toilet.
The hike to the research station is 2 miles (4 miles round trip). The hike to the summit is 7 miles (14 miles round trip).
If you go the first Sunday in August, they have an open house, and you can drive to the research station from the trailhead parking. That makes the roundtrip summit hike 10 miles instead of 14.
I did this last year. It was a blast.
